Start a gratitude journal

You’ve likely heard of the many benefits that come from adults keeping gratitude journals. This daily dedication to giving thanks is not just beneficial for adults! Keeping a gratitude journal helps children increase their self-awareness and self-management; this daily time to express gratitude allows children to reflect on their lives and focus on positive aspects.

Create a gratitude journal - somewhere that your child can write something for which they are feeling grateful that day. Your child can decorate the front or even create the book themselves for added ownership and fun. Rather than write broad gratitudes like “family” or “food,” try to encourage more specific aspects of their lives. Use this template or these questions to help encourage deeper thinking and more precise gratitudes:

• Who is one person that makes you feel grateful today?

• What was one thing you ate today for which you feel grateful?

• What is one thing you/ your body is able to do right now that makes you feel grateful?

Create a glitter jar

Certain visual stimulation can awaken our senses and calm feelings of anxiety or anger. Watching glitter swirling and floating in a jar of water can encourage children’s self-management, as they learn to pick up their glitter jar and calm their strong emotions with greater independence. While your child grows more practiced in using their glitter jar to manage strong emotions, you can help support them with prompts like these:

• It seems like you are experiencing a big emotion right now. Would you like to take out your glitter jar? When it settles, you might be ready to discuss what happened.

• Perhaps your mind is having difficulty focusing right now. How about you take out your glitter jar and take some deep breaths while watching the glitter settle? Let me know when you feel ready to focus again.

• You might not have a solution to your problem right now but how about you take out your glitter jar to see if you get any ideas after watching it?

To create your own glitter jar you will need a jar, airtight lid, water, and a bit of glitter. This fun hands-on art activity will last a long time if handled with care, and offer great opportunity for social emotional learning. If you want to avoid the possible mess of a physical glitter jar, you can alternatively find similar effects online. For example, try the Augmented Reality (AR) glitter jar feature on the app, Wisdom: The World of Emotions (iOS, Android).

Make a schedule or list of to-do’s

Creating and maintaining a daily schedule helps children stay structured. It allows children to rely on a sense of predictability and safety. Being involved in this process allows children to practice responsible decision making and self-management. It gives children the opportunity to reflect on previous days and the day ahead, as they make choices in their schedule to help manage their emotions. To start this conversation with your child, try some of these prompts:

• What are some things you would like to do tomorrow? Let’s make a list.

• We have a busy day! Let’s sit to think about when we want to do what today.

• Wow, look at everything you have accomplished today. What was the best part of your day? What are you looking forward to for tomorrow?

Check out this link for a daily reflection and schedule template that you can print for you and your child. Using a consistent format for scheduling your days can help support your structure.

Reset your body

When we experience strong emotions, our body responds. Certain practices, such as breathing exercises or stretching routines, can help children increase self-awareness and self-management of their emotional responses. There are many child-friendly breathing and stretching exercises that guide children and help them visualize their practice. Try the SEL app, Wisdom : The World of Emotions for an Augmented Reality (AR) breathing exercise or physical grounding game (visual shown below) for kids to follow along.

You may choose to do such breathing or stretching exercises at scheduled time of the day (perhaps before bedtime or as a daily break from homework). You may also choose to use these practices when at moments you and your child feel it could be helpful. Try some of these prompts as you and your child navigate good times to reset your bodies:

• I notice you seem (insert: upset, distracted, tired, experiencing strong emotions…). Would you like to do a breathing exercise with me?

• It’s been a long day. Why don’t we get our bodies and minds ready for bed with some stretches.

• I think we can focus on this better after we reset our bodies. Would you prefer to focus on our breathing or stretching?